Review

Out of requests I decided to review another Fantômas cd. The Directors Cut is the most accessible of the three Fantômas records...and prolly the easiest to review too. The cd consists of re-aligned movie theme covers. Despite the fact that none of the songs are original...it's an amazing cd.

01 The Godfather
This track is the perfect opener. First you hear the famous melody from the Godfather theme by an eerie harmonica and then BAM! The song turns heavy and fast paced. After the heavy part it goes into a mariachi part...reminscent to the original theme..only more creepy, and with beautiful falsetto vocals. 4.5/5

02 Der Golem
This is another heavy, sludgy track. Great how Patton screams "The creature walks". It's medium slow-paced, but during the song ending the tempo speeds up...it sounds awesome. 4/5

03 Experiment In Terror
The song starts with a timid guitar melody with light distortion, but the verses are actually a very creepy, jazzy waltz. The vocals are great. After the second verse the song becomes heavy, with Lombardo adding a nice touch with the toms. Mike Patton shows his incredible versality here again as well. 4.5/5

04 One Step Beyond
This is another amazing interpretation...this time it's a more arranged version of One Step Beyond. Dave Lombardo and Mike Patton are incredible here. Amazing how the melody can be maintained with that kind of vocal intenstity. The song goes into a strange sequence, with distorted vocals and snare drum patterns...before going into the amazing climax. 4.5/5

05 Night Of The Hunter (Remix)
This track rides on a dreamy melody and Patton singing in a very creepy squeeky voice...almost unrecognisable. Short, but amazing. 4/5

06 Cape Fear
Fantômas really nailed it with their version of the Cape Fear Theme. Buzz' guitar melody and Pattons high pitch vocals replace the volatile strings from the original perfectly. 4.5/5

07 Rosemary's Baby
This is the most amazing track on this cd. Heck, this version beats the original version by a long shot in my opinion. It starts out with Pattons creepy falsetto and a music box, but then a dark layer of guitar comes in...very eerie. Pattons vocals become a bit lower, until it's attacked by a stomping bassdrum and heavy melodic guitar assault. It goes into 3/4 for awhile, then back into the chorus. The most amazing part is when the song becomes a bit more quiet after the drums stop...and you hear a baby crying in the background...very scary. After the chorus picks up, the song into an amazing climax. 5/5

08 The Devil Rides Out (Remix)
This is another short, yet amazing track. You hear Pattons vocals and Buzz' guitar aligning one another, then Lombardo comes in with his bass drums...and it bursts into a spooky, arranged piece of rearing melodies and sound effects. 4.5/5

09 Spider Baby
The best part of this song is right in the first few seconds: Patton lets out this amazing maniacal laughter that has evil written all over it. It's very medium/slow-paced. The chorusses are very arranged, with screeching vocal melodies and spiralling harps along with Buzz' guitar riff. The verses are spoken with corny lyrics seemingly inspired by old horror flicks. 4/5

10 The Omen
This version of the Omen isn't quite as good as the original, but no other band could cover it as well as Fantômas has here. It starts out with a light key and Patton dropping those satanic lyrics...then a volatile organ comes in, and the vocals are overdubbed. Then it switches into a guitar melody and Patton saying the lyrics more uptempo. Then Lombardo break comes in and the song turns into a heavy assault. This part is amazing...especially the part where Lombardo goes more into cymbal work. During that part, Pattons vocals are just amazing. 4.5/5

11 Henry: Portrait Of A Serial Killer
This is another favorite of mine. It starts with just a gong echoing...and if you listen closely you hear police sirens in the background. After a few gongs it explodes singularly into the signature meloldy of the theme. Then it goes into an eerie layer of guitar and bass. Pattons falsetto vocals come in and mimic the melody Buzz played after the gongs. It sounds awesome when the drums come in and the song switches from more intense parts and more timid parts. Patton now sings the falsetto melody lower, and with lyrics. Eventually, it ends with the same way it prett much started, only reversed. 5/5

12 Vendetta
This is a pretty strange track. It has eerie piano's, strumming guitars, spooky keys. It's a bit more laid back than the previous theme covers. 3.5/5

13 (No track)

14 Investigation Of A Citizen Above Suspicion
The song starts with a creepy into, but quickly goes into a nifty intro part with flutes, keys and soft distorted guitars. The melody is sometimes broken, with Patton doing weird distorted vocals inbetween. Eventually the song becomes heavier, but the distorted vocals still come inbetween. After the last vocals...the song ends with an uptempo, heavy climax with come crazy vocal stuff. 4/5

15 Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me
This version of the Twin Peaks theme is pretty mellow, but very well done. It starts out very jazzy, with some electronic samples, and piano riffs. But it switches do an amazing vocal part carried by Dave Lombardo's drum work. After this pattern repeats again, the song goes into a trip-hop beat, with Patton singing very low. 4/5

16 Charade
An amazing ending to a great cd. It starts with Buzz' distinct guitar work playing the theme melody...then Lombardo building up nicely with some cymbal work. Then it goes into a part with strange percussion and rhythmic crooning. When the strings/keyboard layers come in Patton starts singing the lyrics. There is this nifty jazzy part with Lombardo and Dunn, that goes into a heavy part with Patton doing those crazy screeches he first introduced to us in Fantômas' debut cd. Then it goes back into the jazz part...only Patton sings in falsetto this time...with crazy vocal effects inbetween that seem to have more of a rythmic function. It then goes into a jam session-ish part with a drum solo and quick guitar strumming. For a few seconds you hear a crowd appauding...then Patton sings another verse, guided by timid melodies. Just when you though the song has ended, another heavy part comes to end the song, and album for good. 5/5

This is a very short album...and most of the songs are not even three minutes long...but there is still alot to hear in this record. It has been my favorite Fantômas record, before Delirium Cordia was released. For people who want to get into Fantômas...this is prolly the best record to start out with...it's hard not to like how these theme songs have been covered. Rating: 5/5

[QUOTE=Kaden]And what's the deal with number 13? What do you mean, "no track"?[/QUOTE]

There is no song. It's a 4 second track of filler. The same thing applies to their first album.

[QUOTE=OrbDragon]
07 Rosemary's Baby
This is the most amazing track on this cd. Heck, this version beats the original version by a long shot in my opinion. It starts out with Pattons creepy falsetto and a music box, but then a dark layer of guitar comes in...very eerie. Pattons vocals become a bit lower, until it's attacked by a stomping bassdrum and heavy melodic guitar assault. It goes into 2/3 for awhile, then back into the chorus. The most amazing part is when the song becomes a bit more quiet after the drums stop...and you hear a baby crying in the background...very scary. After the chorus picks up, the song into an amazing climax. 5/5
[/QUOTE]

I think most of these songs would be better with the original songs... many of the originals aren't extremely well-known. I can only recognize a few of the songs. Still, they're done well, so good review. Maybe a lower rating, though; I think that only a FNM album or a Mr. Bungle one could get Mike Patton a 5/5. He's a genius and all, but most of his albums have their flaws.

Great review. It looks like you've covered the major details of the album. I've been wanting to get into Fantomas but I was afraid Delirium Cordia would be too inaccesible as a first listen. Now I know where to start.

The only beef I have with it is it's shortness (just over 30 minutes)...it doesn't have the replayability like the last two Bungle records, which I basically rediscover everytime I listen to it. That's the reason why I like Delirium Cordia and self titled better now than The Directors Cut...the music always suprises you somehow.

I let my drummer borrow the Fantomas' self-titled CD and he was like "yeah..it's pretty good." But when he said that, it almost sounded like he wasn't really impressed by it for some reason...until I let him borrow Director's Cut, That's when he got all excited and realized how great Mike Patton is. :p
I've showed him Mr. Bungle - self-titled, both Tomahawk CD's, and a few Faith No More stuff here and there, and he seems to like this album the most over the rest.

My favorite Song on this album is Der Golem. But the whole thing is brilliant really.
I just wished it was a little bit longer. I still give it a 5/5! :cool:

I have finally figured out my stance on Fantomas. I like them, and their music is extremely brilliant. I enjoy listening to them, but their music has a sort of "soullessness" to it, and it seems really empty (This album much more so than Delirium Cordia, I have only heard a few tracks off the first). So, I will still listen to the Fantomas, but 9 times out 10, I will choose Radiohead, Coldplay, R.E.M., Nirvana, or whatever, because their music doesn't feel empty, like the Fantomas does. There is just something about it, that doesn't seem very personal.

[QUOTE=br3ad_man]I have finally figured out my stance on Fantomas. I like them, and their music is extremely brilliant. I enjoy listening to them, but their music has a sort of "soullessness" to it, and it seems really empty (This album much more so than Delirium Cordia, I have only heard a few tracks off the first). So, I will still listen to the Fantomas, but 9 times out 10, I will choose Radiohead, Coldplay, R.E.M., Nirvana, or whatever, because their music doesn't feel empty, like the Fantomas does. There is just something about it, that doesn't seem very personal.[/QUOTE]
I kinda know what you mean. Listening to Fantomas feels like standing in a pitch dark basement.

[QUOTE=br3ad_man]I have finally figured out my stance on Fantomas. I like them, and their music is extremely brilliant. I enjoy listening to them, but their music has a sort of "soullessness" to it, and it seems really empty (This album much more so than Delirium Cordia, I have only heard a few tracks off the first). So, I will still listen to the Fantomas, but 9 times out 10, I will choose Radiohead, Coldplay, R.E.M., Nirvana, or whatever, because their music doesn't feel empty, like the Fantomas does. There is just something about it, that doesn't seem very personal.[/QUOTE]

If you like emotional music Fantômas and Mr Bungle are not really the bands to look for. Their music of more for listeners who like to be challenged and hear something unconventional and unpredictable. I've always said that different music has different strength, and Fantômas thrives on originality (although they are obviously spawned from Naked City) more so then emotion or songwriting.

The great thing about Mike is that he keeps you guessing. Fantômas can become anything...from super experimental noisecore reminscent to Zorn or Melt Banana, ambient music, soundtrack music...to even pop music. He uses the band as clay to form a different sculpture with each release.